Abu Salem ‘confesses’ to hand in Mumbai bomb blasts

MUMBAI: Extradited gangster Abu Salem is understood to have confessed to his complicity in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast case.

An envelope containing Salem's confession was delivered in a Tada court by the chief metropolitan magistrate here today and it will be opened tomorrow, court sources said.

Salem, said the sources, confessed to his role before a CBI DIG and produced later before the chief metropolitan magistrate who sent it to the Tada court.

Salem's lawyer Ashok Sarogi confirmed receipt of the envelope by the Tada court and said the defence strategy would be chalked out after consultation with Salem and his London-based lawyer Harjot Singh who had defended the gangster in Portugal court in the extradition case.

Sarogi, however, alleged CBI may have coerced Salem to make a confession and the matter would be clear when the accused was produced before the court on November 23 for further remand.

"We have already made an application to the court stating that Salem has been falsely implicated and does not want to make a confession", he said.

CBI sources declined to confirm or deny Salem's confession.According to Section 15 of Tada (P) Act, an accused may make a confession before a police officer of DCP or SP rank and a CBI officer of DIG rank.

He then has to be produced before the chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) at the earliest for confirmation of his confession. Only then, the CMM sends a communication to the trial court, the sources said.

The communication by the CMM to the Tada court ends ten days of intense speculation in the media about the revelation made by Salem to CBI regards his alleged role in the bomb blast and his association with the Bollywood, cricketers and the underworld.

The speculation tended to gain ground when Salem's lawyers told the media saying that he was ready to be an approver provided he was offered a "good deal" by CBI.

The agency has in turn rejected feelers sent by Salem's lawyers and said any such acceptance would amount to inducement and would not be acceptable to the court. It also said if an accused had to turn an approver it has to come voluntarily from his side. Salem is facing the charges of his complicity in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case including supply of arms and ammunition to co-accused including actor Sanjay Dutt.

A total of 257 people were killed and 713 injured when serial explosions rocked 13 places in the city damaging property worth over Rs 30 crore on March 12, 1993.

Salem is in custody of CBI till November 23 and would be produced before Tada court on that day for further remand.